I
wonder when Cole asked, “Does the world really need
another racing game?” If he ever thought about a cel
shaded racer? I have to be honest when I first saw
this game, I thought “Man they are going to really
make this look awful”. Well, first comments can come
back to haunt you and I will admit after playing “am”
abbreviated to save space, I am amazed at what they
where able to create here. I know some may think the
same as I did about a cel shaded racing game and question
if it is worth buying? This one really speaks for
itself and has some very cool options and the ability
to take your own created racer online and race it
against 8 others. I am sorry I could not test the
online feature of this game. From what I hear though
it works rather well and this one is really a work
of art. In many ways it almost like Sega GT only cel
shaded. The game looks rather simplistic at first
but it really offers some great game-play and is more
than eye-candy!

I want to talk about the controls first based on a
few Emails and comments I have read and heard. Yes
they are a bit tricky and you know what? I love this
game for the fact they actually included that when
you race a car and give it too much gas, you’re going
to start to lose grip and the car will start to swerve.
Knowing how to adjust and set-up your car for this
is all part of real racing. So to say the controls
are over sensitive is not being fair to the game.
Yes, they take time to learn but any racing game has
certain things you need to learn and compensate for.
The controls are set-up very well for the most part,
but there a few minor things that could have been
easier to use like the reverse gear. However, the
basic controls are easy to learn but will take time
to master. The courses make sure of this and really
will show you just how your racing skills are.

Using
the cel shading gives the game a whole different look.
The effects are great and even include back firing
of the car when easing off the gas or down shifting,
which few games seem to remember to include. You may
hear it in some games but often never see it. The
courses are all real and then were re-created in the
cel-shaded format. Now the effects certainly are neat
and actually very remarkable. I would have liked to
see real-time damage shown during a race. I know that
this may sound picky but to me it just add to the
game. Regardless if that really is the only thing
missing, it shows what a great job they did in the
graphics of this game. Also the customized options
really are neat and add something to the game. You
have a chance to unlock certain things, but you can
also use the editing tools to really make your car
your own creation.

The games music is your basic fast paced tunes and
it would have been nice to have a bit more variety
to choose from. The Arcade mode is fast paced and
the announcer does a good job. You will hear some
praises and a few slams about your driving ability.
It all is done very well and there really is not much
to complain about. The sounds of the car are all done
very well from the gas to the gears even the turbo
kicking in. When played are all mixed together and
have that realistic sound to it. Perhaps even better
than some of the most popular games out there now
and again, when you’re watching the replays, you also
have options to add sounds music and edit everything.

There are 3 main modes and all will keep you challenged.
You will soon find the game very easy to pick up.
They add a few new things like getting Emails when
you win or lose giving you tips and of course unlocking
tons of things to add to your dream car. The game
play is excellent and the frame-rate to me seemed
steady. There might be a few times depending on a
curve or the way of course is set-up where it may
seem to slow down for a second or so. Also the camera
view is set-up very well again depending on the course
and you driving there may be a few times where the
angle could have been better.

The
bottom line is this game is fun challenging and addicting.
It certainly has to be considered for our Hoagy Awards.
Any race fan will like something about this game and
with all the options available it certainly offers
replay value with some fast pace 2-player competition
and online competition if you have the PS2 adapter
and broadband connection. The game does require broadband
to be able to use the online option. When you see
the game in action, I am sure you will understand
why. I never thought a cel-shaded racer would grab
my attention and hold it but this game does just that!